Cooling system



J. J. WHALEN COOLING SYSTEM Jan. 22, 1963 Filed Nov. 23, 1959 COOLANT INVENTOR James J W/m/en United States Patent Ofliice 3,074,477 Patented Jan. 22 1963 3,074,477 COOLING SYSTEM James J. Whalen, 4810 St. Elmo Ave., Bethesda, Md.

Filed Nov. 23, 1959, Ser. No. 854,785 3 Claims. (Cl. 165-56) The present invention relates to a cooling system and more particularly to a cooling system in which main flow conduits are utilized as heat exchangers, and in which no branch circuits are provided.

It has heretofore been proposed to heat or cool a plurality of rooms in a building by What is generally referred to as a water system. In the water system, heat exchange units are provided in the various rooms, and these heat exchange units are connected with a main flow circuit which includes either water heating apparatus or water cooling apparatus, or both. Thus, the heating or cooling apparatus raises or reduces the temperature of the heat conducting fluid, i.e., the water, and a suitable pump forces the water thus heated or cooled into the main flow circuit or circuits. From the main flow circuit or circuits, branch conduits conduct the water to the room heat transfer units, and return the water from these units back to the return line of the main flow circuit.

The above described and commonly utilized heating or cooling systems all are characterized by the fact that the heat exchange units in the various rooms are connected with the main flow circuit by branch or lateral conduits, these conduits adding greatly to the cost of construction of the system.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cooling or heating system for multiple room buildings, which systems will be more economical than those heretofore used.

Another object of the present invention is the provision .ill

of a cooling or heating system for multiple room buildings in which the expense of branch or lateral circuits is eliminated.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a cooling or heating system for multiple room buildings in which economies are effected without diminuation of the effectiveness of the system.

. Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily understood from a consideration of the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a multiple room building, with parts in section, and showing a cooling system in accordance with the present invention installed therein.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a heat exchange unit forming a part of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like or corresponding reference characters are used to designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there may be seen in FIG. 1 a multiple room building 10, which building may be constructed and adapted for any of a plurality of uses, such as offices, apartments, etc. Within the building 10 are a plurality of rooms 11, the rooms 11 in the illustrative example being in vertical array.

Within the building 10 is a fluid flow circuit generally designated 15, this circuit comprising a first conduit 16 and a second conduit 17. Conduits 16 and 17 are in generally parallel adjacent relationship, and may be seen to extend successively through the various rooms 11 of the building 10. At their upper ends, the conduits 16 and 17 are in fiuid communication, as by the U-shaped connector 18. At the lower end of the system, as in the basement of the building 10, the return conduit 17, which is the second conduit, passes through a coolant source 19 and a pump 20, which latter is connected to the first conduit 16. It will be understood that coolant source 19 may be of any suitable and known construction, it serving to extract heat from the water or other fluid flowing in the circuit 15, and more particularly in the second or return conduit 17.

Each of the rooms 11 of the building 10 contains a heat exchange unit 25, the units 25 each comprising a cabinet 26. As may be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, each cabinet 26 is in generally surrounding relationship to the first conduit 16 and the second conduit 17. The front face of the cabinet 26 is parallel to the plane of the conduits 16 and 17 as best shown in FIG. 3.

At the bottom of cabinet 26 there is provided a louvered air entrance 27, and at the top of the cabinet 26 there is provided a louvered air exit opening 28. Within the cabinet 26 there are provided a plurality of plates 29, 30 and 31 which extend alternately from the front and rear of the cabinet, each of the plates terminating short of the front or back wall towards which it extends. The configuration and arrangement of these plates thereby provide a tortuous air path through the cabinet 26 between the entrance 27 and the exit opening 28. The tortuous air path provides for contact of the air with the conduits 16 and 17 more than twice. A motor and fan unit 32 may be provided adjacent the entrance 27 to force air through the tortuous path defined by the plates 29, 30 and 31.

The conduits 16 and 17 extend through the cabinet 26, and are provided with spaced heat conducting fins 33, the fins 33 being generally horizontal, and in vertical array on the conduits 16 and 17. The fins 33 may be suitably constructed to provide for the drainage of any water that condenses thereon; for example, the =fins 33 may be slightly tilted so as to provide for run-off into a suitable drainage system, or the fins 33 may be perforated to provide for the escape of condensate from the higher to the lower fins. v I In operation, water or other fluid in the circuit 15 is cooled by the coolant source 19 and the cooled water is forced by the pump 20 through the first conduit 16. The water flows upwardly through the conduit 16, and through each of the heat exchange units 25 in the various rooms -11 of the building 10. The water then passes through the U-shaped connector 18 into the return or second conduit 17 and thence passes successively through the units 25, but in a downward direction. The water then returns to the coolant source 19 to complete the circuit.

Within each of the units 25, the cooled water chills the fins 33, and air which is forced through the cabinet 26 by the motor and fan unit 32 is therefore also cooled. The contact between the air and the cooling fins is enhanced by the tortuous path formed by the plates 29, 30 and 31.

In a typical installation, water entering conduit 16 in a cooling system in accordance with the present invention may be at 45 F. When this water reaches the U-shaped connector 18 it will be at 50 F., and when this water has passed through the second or return conduit 17, it will be at 55 F. Thus, each of the units 25 will be operating with a mean or average temperature of coolant fluid of 50 F. More particularly, it will be seen that the unit 25 in the lowermost of the rooms 11 will have, in the example given, water passing through conduit 16 at approximately 45 F. and water passing through conduit 17 at approximately 55 F. On the other hand, the unit 25 in the uppermost room will have water passing through both the conduits 16 and 17 at approximately 50 F., and the units 25 in the intermediate rooms 11 will have water passing through the conduits 16 and -17 at intermediate temperatures. It will thus be seen that the cooling water passes through both conduits at each unit and thereby assures a similar average temperature at each unit.

Although the illustration and description is directed to a form of the invention for cooling purposes with vertical conduits, it should be understood that the coolant source 19 might equally well be a heat source, and the conduits may be horizontal as well as vertical. It is anticipated that the system will be used for both heating and cooling of the rooms. can readily be accomplished by utilizing heated water in the system in the winter and cooled water therein in the summer months.

This system described heretofore is particularly suited for use in air conditioning existing buildings. The units 25 will be preconstructed with the two conduits extending out of the cabinet 26 at both the top and bottom. Two holes are drilled through the floor of each room to the room below, and connecting pieces are installed in the holes and are connected to the ends of the conduits extending but of the cabinet These units may be installed in a corner of the room and will occupy little space.

The room temperatures of the building may be con: trolled effectively by connecting the motor of motor and fan unit'32 to a suitable room thermostat or by use of bypass dampers.

Thus it will be seen, that in the present invention the usual supply'and return mains of the conventional heating and cooling systems become the actual heat exchange units within the rooms and all of their surfaces are utilized to contribute to the heat transfer. This not only results in an inexpensive, simplified system but also relieves the necessity and consequent expense of insulation of the sup: ply and return mains as isrequired in the conventional systems.

The. air which is blown in contact with the conduits may be all room air, all fresh air or a mixture, of the two. This can be accomplishedv either by means of a duct to the outside at each floor, or by a third conduit of fresh air extending inside the cabinets with outlets at each floor.

Although the source of coolant or heat and the pump are shown in the basement of the buildin they could equal y l be ount d at t e top e. i d n In this specification and claims whenever the termcooling is used, it should be understood that both cooling and dehumidification are contemplated, since the cooling of the air results in removal of moisture therefrom which is subsequently collected and drained.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various I changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a multi-story building, a fluid flow circuit comprising first and second serially connected conduits in generally adjacent parallel relationship extending in vertical array successively through a plurality of rooms on successive stories of said building, said conduits being in fluid communication at their opposite ends, heat conducting fins on both said conduits on the portions of said conduits located within said rooms, means for varying the temperature of the fluid in said circuit, said means being located at one end of said conduits, means for circulating the fluid through said circuit, said circulation being entirely in serial fluid flow so that the same quantity of fluid circulates throughout all portions of both conduits and all the fluid flows through each room twice and the average temperature of the fluid in the two adjacent conduits in each room is constant throughout the circuit, means for circulating air from each room in a tortuous path in plural contacts with each said finned portion of said conduits, and an enclosure in each room enclosing the finned portions of said conduits and said air circulating means, said enclosure having air inlet and outlet openlngs.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including means within said enclosure for collecting the condensate resulting from the conditioning of said air.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein spaced plates extend alternately from opposite sides of said enclosure to guide the air in a tortuous path in plural contacts with said finned conduits within the enclosure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,473,896 Wolfe n Nov. 13, 1923 1,913,002 Russell et a1. June 6, 1933 2,269,578 Buti Ian. 13, 1942 2,588,723 Herman Mar. 11, 1952 2,860,833 McElgin et a1. Nov. 18, 1958 2,927,780. Seeley Mar. 8, 1960 2,962,266 Kritzer Nov. 29, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 619,782 Canada May 9, 1961 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A MULTI-STORY BUILDING, A FLUID FLOW CIRCUIT COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND SERIALLY CONNECTED CONDUITS IN GENERALLY ADJACENT PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP EXTENDING IN VERTICAL ARRAY SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH A PLURALITY OF ROOMS ON SUCCESSIVE STORIES OF SAID BUILDING, SAID CONDUITS BEING IN FLUID COMMUNICATION AT THEIR OPPOSITE ENDS, HEAT CONDUCTING FINS ON BOTH SAID CONDUITS ON THE PORTIONS OF SAID CONDUITS LOCATED WITHIN SAID ROOMS, MEANS FOR VARYING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FLUID IN SAID CIRCUIT, SAID MEANS BEING LOCATED AT ONE END OF SAID CONDUITS, MEANS FOR CIRCULATING THE FLUID THROUGH SAID CIRCUIT, SAID CIRCULATION BEING ENTIRELY IN SERIAL FLUID FLOW SO THAT THE SAME QUANTITY 